Find out about our new Amphitheatre

From sharing lunch with colleagues on a sunny day to special events of live music and culture, the Amphitheatre in Sheldon Square is at the heart of Paddington Central, bringing work teams, families and friends together and providing a focal point for our community.

Updating this well-loved space could not be done without talking through designs and ideas with our local community. We held consultations with Paddington Central’s local people, retailers, companies and stakeholders (such as the Mosaic Community Trust, PiP and Queen’s Park Primary) to find out what was essential to them. The result is a new Amphitheatre design that’s more accessible and welcoming for all who live, work and visit.

The Amphitheatre will re-open in 2023.

Our new design will provide:

• A dynamic and exciting performance space

With a larger ‘stage’ area for events, the Amphitheatre is set to become a year-round destination for people to relax and enjoy culture, music, entertainment and well-being pop-ups. We’re also expanding the amount of seating and making it more comfortable.

• Improved accessibility and inclusivity

A new ramp and central staircase alongside handrails and textured paving means the space will be easier to access with better lighting whatever the weather and season.

• A greener space for all

We’re adding new trees and sun-loving, resilient plants plus a beautiful water feature that reflects our canalside location. The addition of 40+ colourful perennial plant species will help to reduce pollution, improve air quality, increase biodiversity and climate change resilience.

• A more sustainable future

We’re sustainably improving the Amphitheatre in Sheldon Square by using Earth Friendly Concrete to reduce embodied carbon by 79% (this is equivalent to 758 single car journeys from Paddington Central to Land’s End and 12 return flights between London and Hong Kong).

• Support for local businesses

We’ll be improving access and enhancing the fronts of our existing shops, gym and restaurants (which will remain open throughout the build).

• A place of calm

The new design gives people a communal area but also one with more intimate quiet spaces where they can find pockets of reflection during their day.

The new Amphitheatre will also support people’s active lifestyles and give a place where people can relax, work, learn and where children can play. We can’t wait to see you there.

If you have any questions - please contact

[email protected]

The latest construction timetable

Construction works at the Amphitheatre began in March 2022 and were undertaken by 8build as principal contractor.

The redevelopment activity has seen hoarding erected around the Amphitheatre and shops have remained accessible via the central staircase. The hoarding consisted of a timber design at 2.4m in height and featured vinyl graphics sympathetic to the aesthetic of the surrounding area and promoted local business.

In the final stages of the construction works, operational and logistics plans will continue to be coordinated with Paddington Central prior to works commencing.

A piece by Adam Nathaniel Furman has been commissioned for the Amphitheatre walkway.

Artist and designer, Adam Nathaniel Furman was born in St Mary's Hospital Paddington.  He is a London-based artist with a multicultural and multi-religious background whose artworks celebrate inclusivity and promote well-being.  Inspired by the neighbourhood's rich heritage and the refurbished Amphitheatre's abundant planting, Furman's new site-specific artwork provides a direct and inclusively sensual experience for visitors of all backgrounds and ages that creates an all-year-round celebration of the colours of nature.  

Key Dates

Noisy Working times: Monday to Friday 9:00am- 11:00am & 2:00pm-4:30pm, Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm, Sunday None

Opening: 2023